Why I Want The Shark Attack Back


Shark Attack Part Two?
When Jeff Samardzija was offered $85 million dollars in 2014, I remember desperately hoping he would accept the deal and remain a Chicago Cub.  I adored The Shark - not only for his super cool nickname given to him by his former Notre Dame baseball teammates, but also because he hales from the same part of northwest Indiana that I do, commonly referred to as the Region.  He was born in Merrillville and grew up in Valparaiso.  I was born in Gary and grew up in Hobart. I love his voice and his long locks. He is, in my opinion, one of the best all-around athletes that Indiana has produced.  In 2006, he became the Fighting Irish football team's all-time leader in reception yards.  Football accolades weren't enough. A two-sport phenom he turned out to be, when he decided to step on the rubber for Notre Dame.  The Cubs selected him in the 5th round of the 2006 draft and lured him away from football altogether in 2007 with a deal totaling $16.5 million.  In July of 2008, my favorite Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, (I call him Mr. Class Act), was placed on the DL. Samrdzija replaced him in the bullpen against the Florida Marlins and struck out the first batter he faced.

Since then the Shark's career has been up and down as most fans are aware. His one and only postseason pitching appearance in the 2008 NLDS was terrible when he racked up a horrendous 9.00 ERA. His best season as a Chicago Cub was his last in 2014.  Although he set a major league record for lowest ERA (1.46) by a winless pitcher through his first 10 starts, he was dominant in his eleventh outing against the San Francisco Giants with a season-high 10 K's.  This is when the Shark frenzy was at its highest. Jeff was on a major roll, and he knew it. We all did.  But then, the inevitable happened.  He thought he deserved more than he was worth.  Suddenly, his statements of wanting to remain with the Cubs for the right price placed a sour taste in my mouth and in many other fans who thought he wanted to stay with the team closest to his hometown roots.  I vented about it for weeks on Twitter.  At first, I admit, I blamed the Cubs for not counter-offering with a sweeter deal.  But as the weeks wore on I became more disenchanted with Jeff and the way he turned his back on a team which was near the precipice of a great turnaround.  Look at what he missed out on.  When he was traded to the Oakland Athletics on July 5, 2014, he not only gave up an NL All-Star appearance, but, even worse, the chance to be an integral part of the break-through year the Cubs had in 2015.  They just might have won it all with his help.  Who knows...


The Shark got tangled up in Mesa

In December 2014, Samrdzija was traded to the Chicago White Sox.  As in Oakland, his numbers were less than acceptable.  I saw him get pounded during a spring training game against the Cubs in Mesa, AZ. Although he did have two complete game shutouts this year as a Southsider, his throwing arsenal became mostly dead in the water as batters turned his pitches into chum. Jeff gave up the most hits, earned runs, and homers in any one season of his career.

Why then, am I excited that he met with Theo Epstein recently? Enthralled about his possible return to the Confines? Because, like so many other Cubs fans, I believe he has some bite left!  Our starting rotation needs him to swim upstream and feed off of renewed fan support. I have faith that he can resurface on the north side of Chicago and become a viable threat again.  The bait has been cast. Take it Shark. Hook, line, and sinker.










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